SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT BARCELONA – PART 2

By moving to this city for Erasmus or any other reason you are in for a great experience! Sunny weather, warm sea and friendly people, it’s just the right mixture for an enjoyable stay. To make the most of your stay, there are a few surprising facts about Barcelona you need to know.

Here’s the second part of surprising facts about Barcelona!

6. Shops open late but close on Sunday

From Monday to Saturday supermarkets and clothing shops are open late, until about 10:00pm. Nevertheless, they do not open on Sunday. If you are used to shop on Sunday, this might be yet another reason to accidentally starve yourself. As you already know, the restaurants are closed between 4pm and 8pm, so it´s just you and your hunger. Remember to stock your fridge on Saturday and a day before bank holidays. Those take place pretty often here and they also shut the city down.

7. Shop in the right store

You won’t buy cigarettes or a newspaper in a supermarket. For cigarettes and stamps you need to go to Tabacos or Tabacs, the second one is in Catalan. A typical Spanish shop with cigarettes, lighters, tobacco and stamps among others. Note that they also close for siesta, so don’t go looking for a smoke in the afternoon. Only a cigarette machine in a bar can save you. When it comes to newspapers and magazines, you will find them in a Kiosko, a small newsagent’s shop which is normally situated on a corner of the street. A nice thing about Kiosko is that they are open also on Sunday mornings.

8. No dress code for clubs or restaurants, free entry before 1:30am

In general, clubbing is not cheap here but if you learn the ropes you can reduce the costs significantly. First of all, you don’t need to dress up to enter a club. They don’t have a problem with guys in sneakers or shorts. It get’s really hot in here, so they have mercy and you don’t have to spend a fortune on your look. The other thing is the entry, if you come early enough, and by 1:30am it is considered early and you will be alone at the club, you enter for free. It can save you up to 20 euros in entry fee (which normally includes a drink at the bar).

9. Beware of pickpockets and guard your stuff

Don’t underestimate the pickpockets. They know what they’re doing. They distract you or take advantage of you being already distracted and BANG! in a second your bag is gone. Always keep an eye on your belongings, keep your bag closed and your wallet in your front, not rear pocket and never leave it on the table or on a sit next to you. Spanish embassies are packed with students and tourists who make a queue to get a new ID or passport because they had it stolen. At least they´ve learned to quickly make replacements of the documents. And it’s not the tourists only, it happens to everybody here. But if you are careful enough and keep in mind not to leave your stuff wherever and out of your sight, I am sure nothing bad will happen to you.

Each country has it’s own cultural tradition and habits and this is the charm of living abroad. We hope the guide will help you out and you will have a great time finding more surprising facts about living in Barcelona!

The dress code for clubs definitely depends on which club you’re going to and sometimes even which night. I’ve seen after school specials at the clubs in Vila Olímpica where students get in with their regular clothes and backpacks, and on other nights at the same clubs, groups get rejected because of guys’ and even girls’ shoes. I was with a going away party where our girl was wearing a cute dress and matching KEDS, but they were not having those KEDS. Most clubs or guest list sites will mention dress code for the particular “event.”

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Are you moving to Barcelona? Or maybe you are recently moved. So are we. It is great to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world but it's even better to have somebody to guide you at the beginning of the adventure. It's Spain, it's Catalonia and things are different here.